Wednesday, November 19, 2008

WSBGM's Offseason Preview

WSBGM's will continue to churn out posts daily throughout the entire offseason. Trades, signings, and rumors will be discussed. Also on the agenda are some interviews (Eric Valent being first on the docket) and a new installment called "Ask the GM's", where you, the readers, can email Corey and/or me various questions about the Phillies, baseball in general, or even which beer tastes best with Papa John's pizza (toppings sway answer). Of course there will be zany posts about current players, managers, and prospects that are sure to get a chuckle from you, as that's our mission statement. So start emailing us some thought provoking questions and enjoy the autumn weather, because the Phillies are World F*ckin' Champions and it's a long way away from the end of February when Spring Training starts.____________________________________________

Stuff:*Gary "Sarge" Matthews has co-authored a book, Phillies Confidential: The Untold Inside Story of the 2008 Championship Season. No offense to Sarge, but I hope the other co-author, Scott Lauber did most of the writing.

*Phils farmhand Jason Donald is really becoming a "buzz name" as a prospect. Great season with Reading, best hitter for Team USA in the Olympics, and now a standout in the Arizona Fall League where he's a finalist for the Stenson Award. From MLB.com- "A shortstop by trade, this third-round pick out of the University of Arizona in 2006 has been working on his third-base skills in the AFL, as the World Champion Phillies already have a strong double-play combination in the big leagues. Donald batted .307 with 14 home runs and 54 RBIs at Double-A Reading this season and represented the United States in the Summer Olympics. Though the Stenson nomination isn't necessarily about level of play, he is also hitting .422 with four homers and 16 RBIs, along with a .747 slugging percentage, for Mesa in the fall campaign."

16 comments:

Those are some lofty numbers by Donald in the AFL. I could see a future 3B for the Phils as early as next year. This team already has alot of power hitters and Donald is a doubles/average type of hitter. He would fit in nicely into the lineup.

All this talk of Donald not having the bat to play 3rd is stupid in my opinion. I'd be complete happy with him if he played adequate defense at 3rd and hit about .275 with 10-15 homeruns and a decent on base %. I know people want 3rd baseman that hit 20+ homeruns, but having a guy that gets on base with some speed and a little bit of pop is completely acceptable in my opinion.

The Phillies showed you how good they are with a Catcher and a 3B who hit the ball on a regular basis in the playoffs. Just imagine that for the ENTIRE SEASON!!! It's incredible.

And, if we get someone in Left Field who hits over 300, we'd be incredible. A lineup eight men deep. It'd be awesome.

Of course, Burrell coming back is important, but damn I'd like a young left fielder. It's just a shame that guy doesn't exist yet. Well, at least we have our Scott Rolen replacement - and someone to silence that Mets 3B.

i'm no mets apologist, but i can't stand for this. david wright is not overrated. he's played 4 full seasons, never knocking in less than 102 or knocking out less than 26 and he's hit over .300 every year. there are lots of overrated ballplayers out there, but david wright is not one of them.

I hate the Mets, and I hate David Wright because he's a Met, but he's a damn fine ball player. And the only thing about him that may be overrated is his defense...he's not the Gold Glover people make him out to be, but then again neither was Bobby Abreu or Derek Jeter.

From MLBTR-According to Ken Davidoff of Newsday, the Mets, Phillies, and Dodgers have expressed interest in free agent outfielder Raul Ibanez. Ibanez would replace Pat Burrell in Philly, and is a backup plan for the Dodgers if they fail to sign Manny Ramirez. The Cubs and Royals may also get involved, but both clubs face payroll limitations currently.

Interest from four NL clubs means Ibanez could remain an outfielder for his age 37-39 seasons, a dicey proposition. He allowed 18 more bases than the average left fielder in 2008, according to the plus/minus system. Ibanez hit .293/.358/.479 in 707 plate appearances, earning just $5.5MM in the last year of his contract. He should be able to double his salary in '09.

*Ibanez is yet another lefty and is a poor aging fielder. He can hit, but he's just as slow and get some just as few balls as Burrell does. Given the forecast pricetag, I say "pass".